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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. net — for catching
  7. cell — in biology
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. scale — size or range
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — a phone
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cap — a lid
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. net — in sport
  19. cap — a hat
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. net — after costs
  22. cap — of ice
  23. branch — a division
  24. scale — in music

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