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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. board — to get on
  8. rock — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. board — a committee
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. season — in sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — of the year
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fine — all right
  17. staff — employees
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. deal — to handle
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. branch — of a tree

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