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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. net — for catching
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. net — in sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. net — after costs

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