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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mate — to breed
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rule — a law
  7. mate — a partner
  8. season — of the year
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rule — government
  11. season — in sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — a committee
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. branch — a division
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. board — to get on
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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