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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fall — to drop
  3. board — a committee
  4. bound — tied together
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — certain
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — for betting
  13. march — the month
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bank — of a river
  17. march — music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. march — the month
  21. board — to get on
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fall — the season

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