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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. present — a gift
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wound — an injury
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. present — there
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — employees
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. board — to get on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. board — a committee
  24. present — the time now

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