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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ground — a position
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. board — a committee
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chip — to eat
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pit — a hole
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. pit — in a race
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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