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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. club — for golf
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. board — to get on
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — clever
  13. branch — a division
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — a group
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. press — newspapers
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for dancing

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