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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: bank · board · scale · key · cold · bowl · club · wave

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. scale — in music
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. club — a group
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bank — of a river
  12. club — for dancing
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — to get on
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — in music
  23. board — a committee
  24. bank — for money

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