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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. board — a committee
  6. branch — a division
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pass — a permit
  9. row — to paddle
  10. track — to keep track
  11. board — to get on
  12. track — a path
  13. pitch — completely
  14. row — a line
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wax — to grow
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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