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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: chest · mate · pass · toast · key · board · stand · game

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. chest — of your body
  7. toast — bread
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mate — a partner
  11. chest — of your body
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stand — to bear
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. game — a match
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chest — a box
  24. mate — to breed

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