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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. drill — army training
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wax — to grow
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. stock — goods
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stock — shares
  17. bound — obliged
  18. land — a country
  19. board — a committee
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bound — certain
  23. board — to get on
  24. branch — of a bank

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