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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. board — a committee
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. track — a path
  7. branch — a division
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mate — to breed
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. board — to get on
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a song
  24. bat — for baseball

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