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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: bank · board · degree · row · saw · bass · fork · nail

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bass — low music
  3. row — a line
  4. bank — for money
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — the fish
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. board — a committee
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fork — in a road
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. board — to get on
  24. degree — an amount

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