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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: cold · nail · board · chair · bank · net · toast · sharp

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. board — a committee
  5. net — in sport
  6. cold — an illness
  7. net — for catching
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. net — after costs
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cold — not warm
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. toast — bread
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bank — for money

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