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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pit — in a race
  5. branch — a division
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fine — high quality
  8. board — to get on
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. march — the month
  11. board — a committee
  12. rest — what's left
  13. march — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chair — a leader
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. march — the month
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rest — a break
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fine — all right

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