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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bank — for money
  3. toast — bread
  4. pit — a hole
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bass — low music
  8. bank — of a river
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bass — the fish
  12. board — to get on
  13. field — for sport
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bank — for money
  16. board — a committee
  17. field — a subject
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. field — farmland
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. kick — in football
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pit — in a race

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