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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. staff — a stick
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — to get on
  9. staff — employees
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — what's left
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — a committee
  22. perch — the fish
  23. squash — to crush
  24. swing — music

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