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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: face · board · bank · court · bass · staff · straw · key

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. staff — employees
  9. key — the most important part
  10. face — part of the head
  11. court — of a king
  12. key — in music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — to confront
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. board — to get on
  19. bank — for money
  20. bass — low music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — a flat piece

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