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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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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: pit · board · drill · hide · deal · swing · branch · wound

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wound — an injury
  6. board — a committee
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. board — to get on
  13. drill — army training
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wound — an injury
  23. branch — a division
  24. deal — to handle

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