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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: board · press · bass · spell · pitcher · ruler · fan · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. board — a committee
  4. spell — letters
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — a short time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. spell — magic
  18. board — to get on
  19. press — to push
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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