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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. branch — a division
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — a contest
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. staff — employees
  12. race — humankind
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pop — music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. board — to get on
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. board — a committee

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