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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. branch — a division
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. face — to point toward
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. board — to get on
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. season — of the year
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. board — a committee
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. land — ground
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rule — a law
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. face — to confront
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. season — in sport

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