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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 120 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 were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. land — ground
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fine — all right
  8. board — to get on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. race — a contest
  14. board — a committee
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. land — a country
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. land — to come down
  23. fine — high quality
  24. race — the arms race

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