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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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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: pit · band · rock · board · foot · branch · stick · chair

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. branch — a division
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rock — music
  12. band — a music group
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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