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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — a committee
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — to be able to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. file — a line of people
  10. board — to get on
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. season — in sport
  15. ground — a position
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. can — a tin
  18. season — of the year
  19. branch — a division
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. file — a document
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. file — a tool

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