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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.

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: board · mine · clip · present · bank · mouse · key · mark

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mark — a trace
  3. clip — to cut
  4. board — a committee
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — in music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. clip — a video
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. present — there
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. clip — for paper
  24. board — to get on

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