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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. scale — size or range
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — in music
  7. board — a committee
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — a division
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. club — for dancing
  16. press — a publisher
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. press — newspapers
  20. club — for golf
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — to push
  23. tear — to rip
  24. club — a group

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