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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cue — for pool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. kid — to tease
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. board — a committee
  12. cue — a hint
  13. branch — a division
  14. cue — a signal
  15. kid — child
  16. board — to get on
  17. squash — to crush
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. press — newspapers
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. board — a flat piece

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