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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: club · row · court · coach · dip · march · board · key

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. march — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. row — a line
  6. court — for sport
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. club — for golf
  9. row — to paddle
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. key — in music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. key — the most important part
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — to get on
  22. march — the month
  23. court — of a king
  24. dip — to sink

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