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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 120 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: sharp · charge · nail · band · craft · straw · pitch · board

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. band — a ring
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. band — a music group
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. board — to get on
  9. craft — a skill
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. sharp — clever
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. craft — boats
  16. charge — a price
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pitch — completely
  21. charge — in control
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. charge — electricity

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