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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. board — a committee
  3. spring — of water
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. file — a document
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitch — completely
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. board — to get on
  17. scale — in music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. safe — out of danger

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