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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: band · sharp · deal · lie · fine · coach · row · board

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. board — a committee
  4. band — a music group
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lie — to recline
  7. row — a line
  8. board — to get on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fine — all right
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. row — to paddle
  21. band — a ring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. band — a rubber band

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