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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · cabinet · spring · staff · drill · ball · sharp · bass

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spring — a coil
  5. drill — a practice
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bass — low music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. drill — army training
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spring — of water
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. spring — the season
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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