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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. board — to get on
  3. wind — moving air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — for catching
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. board — a committee
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ball — a great time
  14. net — in sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — after costs
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — a football final

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