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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. last — final
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. board — a committee
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. last — to go on
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitch — completely
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mark — a grade
  17. last — finally
  18. branch — a division
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. board — to get on
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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