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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. sharp — clever
  3. branch — a division
  4. board — a committee
  5. present — the time now
  6. chip — for betting
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — to get on
  9. press — newspapers
  10. kick — in football
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. press — to push
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. present — a gift
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. present — there
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. press — a publisher

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