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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pass — a permit
  6. board — to get on
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pop — music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pop — soda
  22. cell — in biology
  23. branch — a division
  24. bear — the animal

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