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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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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: face · band · bank · straw · racket · board · bowl · coach

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — to get on
  5. face — to confront
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — a committee
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — of a river
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bank — for money
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — to roll

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