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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. net — for catching
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bark — to shout
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lean — thin
  13. net — after costs
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. branch — a division
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mine — for digging
  24. net — in sport

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