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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · land · present · hand · mark · club · cabinet · board

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. land — ground
  5. board — a committee
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. land — a country
  10. hand — help
  11. mark — a trace
  12. present — there
  13. club — for dancing
  14. board — to get on
  15. present — a gift
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. club — a group
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. land — to come down
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — in cards
  23. club — for golf
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com