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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's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. branch — a division
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. stock — goods
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. court — of a king
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. court — for sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. court — of law
  15. key — the most important part
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bowl — a dish

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