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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 · coach · band · fork · craft · mouse · tube · toast

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. craft — boats
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. band — a music group
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — a committee
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. toast — bread
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. band — a ring
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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