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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 124 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. spring — the season
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. spring — of water
  15. content — the amount
  16. branch — a division
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — happy
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a committee

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