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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 120 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. current — electric
  11. row — a line
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. current — of water
  14. row — to paddle
  15. branch — a division
  16. chip — for betting
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. board — to get on
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — to eat

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