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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. club — for golf
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pit — in a race
  10. branch — a division
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. clip — a video
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. club — a group
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. club — for dancing

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