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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.

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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: racket · bore · nail · board · present · branch · band · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. bore — to tire
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. present — the time now
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spell — letters
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — a committee
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. present — there
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. present — a gift
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — a short time

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