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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. scale — size or range
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. march — the month
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. march — music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. can — a tin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. march — the month
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. scale — in music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — a tin
  23. board — to get on
  24. can — to be able to

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