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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 124 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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a song
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — a gift
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. present — the time now
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bound — obliged
  12. track — to keep track
  13. sharp — clever
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bound — tied together
  16. branch — a division
  17. board — a committee
  18. bound — certain
  19. staff — a stick
  20. present — there
  21. track — a path
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — to get on
  24. sharp — exactly

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