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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. perch — the fish
  6. board — to get on
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mate — to breed
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. row — a line
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. row — to paddle
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. board — a flat piece
  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