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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. spell — magic
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. swing — in golf
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. band — a ring
  9. pitch — completely
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. spell — letters
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. roll — a list
  15. spell — a short time
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. band — a music group
  19. swing — music
  20. board — to get on
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. branch — a division

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