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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: content · swing · press · board · bank · rock · fine · club

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bank — for money
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. press — to push
  5. board — a committee
  6. fine — all right
  7. rock — a stone
  8. content — the amount
  9. bank — for money
  10. press — a publisher
  11. content — happy
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bank — of a river
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rock — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. club — for dancing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. press — newspapers
  21. swing — music
  22. club — a group
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. club — for golf

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