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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: rock · pop · rush · squash · face · board · land · key

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. land — ground
  3. board — a committee
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rock — music
  8. land — to come down
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. key — for a lock
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rock — a stone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. land — a country
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. board — to get on
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. face — to confront
  21. key — in music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pop — to visit

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