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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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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: club · board · fall · coach · chair · trunk · bank · mine

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fall — to drop
  10. board — a committee
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. club — for golf
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fall — the season
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — a group
  22. mine — for digging
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bank — for money

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