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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: bass · last · season · mug · board · key · drill · bowl

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. season — of the year
  3. key — for a lock
  4. last — finally
  5. key — in music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bass — the fish
  8. board — a committee
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. drill — army training
  11. bass — low music
  12. mug — to rob
  13. last — to go on
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mug — a face
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. season — in sport
  19. key — the most important part
  20. drill — the tool
  21. last — final
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mug — a cup

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