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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. last — to go on
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. board — a committee
  5. wound — an injury
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wound — an injury
  8. branch — a division
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. board — to get on
  11. scale — in music
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. last — finally
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. last — final
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cap — of ice
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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