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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 · bass · toast · key · bank · bore · club · stem

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bass — low music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bank — of a river
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. club — a group
  21. board — a committee
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bore — to drill
  24. club — for golf

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