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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. court — of a king
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. lean — thin
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. board — to get on
  18. mate — a friend
  19. board — a committee
  20. court — of law
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. root — of a word
  24. court — for sport

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