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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — a division
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — the fish
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. degree — temperature
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pound — a weight
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. wake — a trail

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