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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. board — a committee
  3. march — the month
  4. file — a line of people
  5. branch — a division
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. file — a tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. rash — hasty
  16. file — a document
  17. suit — to fit
  18. march — music
  19. stock — shares
  20. suit — in cards
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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