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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: file · board · sharp · bulb · press · coach · bark · club

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — to push
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. sharp — clever
  11. file — a line of people
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. club — for dancing
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. club — for golf
  16. board — to get on
  17. file — a tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. file — a document
  21. board — a committee
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. club — a group
  24. press — a publisher

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