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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — to crush
  9. key — in music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. board — to get on
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. board — a committee

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