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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. branch — a division
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. board — a committee
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. field — for sport
  14. chip — to eat
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. field — farmland
  20. bound — obliged
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bound — tied together
  24. field — a subject

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