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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. board — a committee
  5. staff — a stick
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — soda
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. hand — help
  13. board — to get on
  14. staff — employees
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — to visit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hide — to keep secret

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