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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. field — farmland
  4. march — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. field — for sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. branch — a division
  16. saw — the tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. stand — to bear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. field — a subject
  24. board — to get on

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