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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — in sport
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. wind — moving air
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. season — of the year
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bark — to shout
  24. branch — a division

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