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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fine — all right
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rock — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. board — a committee
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mark — a grade
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. kick — in football

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