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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 116 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: branch · press · board · bulb · sharp · calf · field · bowl

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — a division
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. field — a subject
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. field — farmland
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. field — for sport
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. press — newspapers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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