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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. board — a committee
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — completely
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. staff — a stick
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — a division
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. perch — the fish
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. board — to get on
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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