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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. branch — a division
  3. perch — the fish
  4. board — a committee
  5. rock — a stone
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. shower — to wash
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pit — a hole
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. row — to paddle
  22. board — to get on
  23. shower — rain
  24. branch — 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