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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pop — music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pop — soda
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. snap — to click
  13. craft — boats
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. branch — a division
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. board — to get on
  19. pop — to visit
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wake — a trail
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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