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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: track · hand · board · leaves · drill · club · cabinet · plane

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for golf
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. hand — help
  13. club — for dancing
  14. board — a committee
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. board — to get on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. drill — a practice
  24. club — a group

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