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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. board — a committee
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cue — a signal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spell — letters
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. march — music
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. board — to get on
  24. march — the month

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