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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: chair · press · scale · rock · season · board · nail · bark

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. season — in sport
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chair — a leader
  6. scale — size or range
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. season — of the year
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rock — music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. press — to push
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. press — a publisher
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. nail — on a finger

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