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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cap — of ice
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. board — a committee
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. branch — a division
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cap — a hat
  15. game — a match
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. toast — bread
  18. bass — the fish
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — a kind of play

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