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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. last — final
  5. root — of a plant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. board — a committee
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. branch — a division
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. root — of a word
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. board — to get on
  24. root — the cause

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