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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · branch · jam · chair · club · board · wake · file

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. file — a document
  3. march — the month
  4. club — a group
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wake — a trail
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. board — a committee
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. club — for dancing
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. march — music
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. branch — a division
  20. file — a tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. march — the month
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. file — a line of people

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