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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. staff — employees
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. staff — a stick
  14. board — a committee
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. board — to get on
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — the tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. deal — to handle
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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