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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. club — for golf
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. branch — a division
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitch — completely
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chair — a professorship

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