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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. row — to paddle
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. board — a committee
  7. key — in music
  8. row — a line
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — the most important part
  12. date — the fruit
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. key — for a lock
  16. board — to get on
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. branch — a division
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. shower — to wash
  24. club — for golf

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