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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mark — a grade
  3. branch — a division
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — clever
  7. present — there
  8. ground — a position
  9. present — a gift
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mark — a trace
  13. board — a committee
  14. present — the time now
  15. board — to get on
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. saw — the tool

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