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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · march · nail · root · press · object · kick · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. march — music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kick — in football
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — an aim
  8. press — newspapers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. press — to push
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. march — the month
  16. press — a publisher
  17. object — to protest
  18. root — of a plant
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. march — the month
  22. object — a thing
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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