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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 116 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: drill · chair · bat · bass · board · squash · suit · branch

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. drill — army training
  8. suit — clothes
  9. branch — a division
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bass — low music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. suit — in cards
  18. drill — a practice
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. suit — to fit
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bass — the fish
  24. squash — the vegetable

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