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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — a tin
  3. kid — to tease
  4. swing — music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. can — a tin
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. swing — in golf
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. branch — a division
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. kid — child
  17. board — to get on
  18. can — to be able to
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. row — to paddle
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. swing — to play on

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