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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pit — in a race
  5. board — to get on
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spell — magic
  12. tube — a container
  13. spell — letters
  14. branch — a division
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tube — the underground
  24. vault — a safe

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