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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a line of people
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. toast — bread
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bass — the fish
  12. file — a tool
  13. bass — low music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a document
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bark — of a tree

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