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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: hide · key · bass · last · track · squash · game · board

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. last — finally
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — a song
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. key — in music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — final
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — a path
  14. game — a match
  15. squash — to crush
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bass — low music
  18. last — to go on
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. board — to get on
  22. key — the most important part
  23. game — wild animals
  24. squash — the sport

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