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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stem — to come from
  6. branch — a division
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cold — not warm
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. dip — to sink
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. board — a committee
  24. racket — for tennis

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