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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. board — to get on
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. branch — a division
  6. season — of the year
  7. chip — for betting
  8. track — to keep track
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. rock — a stone
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. hand — in cards
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — music
  21. board — a committee
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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