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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. branch — a division
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. drill — army training
  7. craft — boats
  8. rash — a series
  9. board — a committee
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rule — a law
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rule — government
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pound — a weight
  22. scale — in music
  23. board — to get on
  24. drill — the tool

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