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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bear — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — the time now
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. present — there
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. board — to get on
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ball — a great time
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. board — a committee
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. present — a gift
  23. branch — a division
  24. board — a flat piece

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