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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: field · fan · fork · board · press · sharp · club · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for golf
  4. field — a subject
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. board — a committee
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — for sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. field — farmland
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. club — for dancing
  17. press — newspapers
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. club — a group
  22. sharp — clever
  23. press — to push
  24. fork — in a road

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