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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. firm — steady
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. land — a country
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. chest — of your body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. board — to get on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. toast — bread
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. board — a committee
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. firm — decided
  20. chest — a box
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. key — in music
  24. land — ground

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