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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rule — government
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. board — a committee
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — to keep track
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. board — to get on
  20. bat — the animal
  21. craft — boats
  22. rule — a law
  23. branch — a division
  24. safe — a strongbox

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