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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. kid — child
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. court — of law
  11. kid — to tease
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — to get on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. court — of a king
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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