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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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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: rock · hide · chest · season · branch · board · club · ball

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chest — a box
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. club — for golf
  8. chest — of your body
  9. club — for dancing
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — a committee
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rock — a stone
  21. board — to get on
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. club — a group

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