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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. march — the month
  7. pit — a hole
  8. plane — a tool
  9. march — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. spring — the season
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — certain
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. march — the month
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. key — in music
  20. pit — in a race
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bound — obliged
  24. key — for a lock

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