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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. branch — a division
  4. ground — a position
  5. bear — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. present — a gift
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. present — the time now
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. board — to get on
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitcher — in 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