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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 · pop · ground · club · plane · leaves · straw · coach

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — soda
  9. club — for dancing
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. club — a group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — to get on
  14. pop — to visit
  15. ground — the earth
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ground — a position
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. club — for golf
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pop — music
  23. board — a committee
  24. plane — an aircraft

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