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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a committee
  4. spring — the season
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — a series
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. branch — a division
  17. spring — of water
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pit — in a race
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — to get on
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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