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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — a division
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mark — a trace
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. track — a path
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. track — a song
  16. bass — low music
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bass — the fish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. toast — bread
  24. mark — to pay attention

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