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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. branch — a division
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. board — to get on
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. band — a music group
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mate — a partner
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mate — a friend
  17. root — the cause
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. band — a ring
  20. row — a line
  21. board — a committee
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fork — in a road
  24. row — to paddle

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