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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · bowl · pitch · board · nail · press

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. club — a group
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitch — completely
  9. club — for dancing
  10. board — to get on
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. club — for golf
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bowl — a dish

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