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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. present — there
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. present — the time now
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. present — a gift
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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