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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.

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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 · mouse · key · club · band · bear · row · object

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. key — for a lock
  3. board — a committee
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. club — for dancing
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. board — to get on
  18. club — for golf
  19. object — a thing
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — a group
  24. key — in music

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