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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: cabinet · board · game · file · bank · jam · content · coach

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. file — a tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. content — happy
  13. board — a committee
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bank — of a river
  18. content — the amount
  19. file — a line of people
  20. game — a match
  21. file — a document
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cabinet — ministers

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