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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 · key · mate · roll · game · stem · date · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. key — for a lock
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. game — a match
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. key — in music
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — wild animals
  19. roll — a list
  20. board — a committee
  21. roll — a cake
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. key — the most important part
  24. date — the fruit

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