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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. net — in sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. branch — a division
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. board — to get on
  15. net — after costs
  16. march — the month
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. net — for catching
  19. march — the month
  20. board — a committee
  21. march — music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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