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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lean — to bend
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rest — a break
  6. club — for golf
  7. lean — thin
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — for sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chip — for betting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. chip — to eat
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. board — to get on
  24. lean — to rest against

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