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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.

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: kick · press · club · board · sharp · coach · stem · arm

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stem — to come from
  5. press — a publisher
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — to get on
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. press — to push
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. board — a committee
  15. club — for golf
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. club — for dancing
  20. press — newspapers
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. club — a group
  24. sharp — clever

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