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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stock — goods
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — there
  10. chest — a box
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stock — shares
  14. chest — of your body
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rash — a series
  19. board — a committee
  20. branch — a division
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. chest — of your body

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