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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — low music
  3. board — a committee
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. track — to keep track
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. branch — a division
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bass — the fish
  14. board — to get on
  15. press — newspapers
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. press — a publisher
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. row — a line
  20. press — to push
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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