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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. board — a committee
  5. deal — to handle
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. season — of the year
  9. net — for catching
  10. present — a gift
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. branch — a division
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. present — there

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