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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. tube — a container
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. board — to get on
  23. field — for sport
  24. rash — a series

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