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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rest — what's left
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pitch — completely
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stock — goods
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. board — to get on
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. stock — shares
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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