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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. swing — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. present — a gift
  12. ground — crushed
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ground — a position
  17. present — there
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. present — the time now
  21. board — to get on
  22. rock — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. swing — to play on

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