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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — soda
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. drill — army training
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rest — a break
  16. pop — to visit
  17. board — to get on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. scale — in music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pop — music
  24. scale — size or range

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