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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. court — of a king
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. court — of law
  14. pit — in a race
  15. court — for sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. branch — of a tree

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