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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. pass — a permit
  3. land — to come down
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. land — ground
  9. board — a committee
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. land — a country
  16. branch — a division
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ball — a great time
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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