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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. field — for sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. board — a committee
  10. field — a subject
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. branch — a division
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. field — farmland
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — to get on

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