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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — in sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rule — a law
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. branch — a division
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — farmland
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. field — for sport
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. board — a committee
  20. fine — all right
  21. field — a subject
  22. season — of the year
  23. plane — a tool
  24. branch — of a bank

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