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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: mouse · key · sharp · roll · coach · board · hand · cell

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. board — a committee
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. roll — a list
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cell — a phone
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. key — in music
  24. hand — help

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