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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. branch — a division
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. board — to get on
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mug — a face
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — to rob
  17. perch — the fish
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fine — high quality
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fine — all right

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