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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. board — a committee
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spring — a coil
  5. face — part of the head
  6. branch — a division
  7. face — to confront
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — of water
  11. root — of a word
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. root — the cause
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spring — the season
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. board — to get on
  23. chip — for betting
  24. root — of a plant

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