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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — the underground
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. squash — the sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. field — farmland
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. board — to get on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. branch — a division

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