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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: key · bowl · arm · mate · club · board · mine · track

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — for digging
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. key — in music
  13. club — for golf
  14. mate — a friend
  15. track — a song
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mate — to breed
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mate — a partner
  23. board — to get on
  24. bowl — to roll

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