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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. board — a committee
  3. content — the amount
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. board — to get on
  6. lean — thin
  7. branch — a division
  8. content — happy
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. drill — army training
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — clever
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. drill — a practice
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lean — to bend
  24. drill — the tool

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