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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. can — to be able to
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. land — ground
  7. board — a committee
  8. stand — to bear
  9. land — a country
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. board — to get on
  12. scale — size or range
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — to come down
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. scale — in 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