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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: arm · content · bore · racket · branch · present · sharp · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bore — to drill
  5. branch — a division
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. present — a gift
  9. content — the amount
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bore — to tire
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. present — there
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. present — the time now
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bore — gave birth

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