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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spring — a coil
  3. race — the arms race
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. race — a contest
  8. club — for golf
  9. spring — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — a committee
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — of water
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stand — to bear
  19. branch — a division
  20. foot — a measure
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. club — a group
  23. race — humankind
  24. board — to get on

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