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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. perch — the fish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. root — of a word
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bound — obliged
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bound — tied together
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — completely
  22. root — the cause
  23. bound — certain
  24. branch — of a tree

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