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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 · object · saw · kick · ball · rash · coach · land

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rash — a series
  4. land — ground
  5. object — a thing
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rash — hasty
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. board — a committee
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. land — a country
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. board — to get on
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. kick — in football
  18. ball — a great time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. ball — a dance
  24. object — to protest

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