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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. field — a subject
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. field — farmland
  7. bass — the fish
  8. branch — a division
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. club — for golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. field — for sport
  19. board — to get on
  20. club — a group
  21. kick — in football
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. club — for dancing

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