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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: club · pass · fine · coach · branch · board · race · date

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. club — for dancing
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. board — to get on
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. board — a committee
  8. club — a group
  9. race — humankind
  10. branch — a division
  11. fine — high quality
  12. club — for golf
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. date — the fruit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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