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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 120 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: club · tube · pop · board · last · coach · bark · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. tube — the underground
  4. board — to get on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. object — a thing
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bark — to shout
  9. last — finally
  10. club — for golf
  11. pop — soda
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. last — final
  15. board — a committee
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. club — for dancing
  19. object — to protest
  20. club — a group
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pop — to visit
  23. last — to go on
  24. pop — music

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