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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. club — for golf
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bark — to shout
  8. march — music
  9. board — a committee
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. club — a group
  13. board — to get on
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cue — a signal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cue — for pool
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cue — a hint
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. club — for dancing
  23. march — the month
  24. kick — in football

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