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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
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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: fine · branch · board · mine · ball · fan · chair · prune

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fine — all right
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mine — for digging
  14. board — to get on
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chair — a leader

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