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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. march — music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. file — a line of people
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. file — a document
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. branch — a division
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — to handle
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mug — a face
  18. stock — shares
  19. board — to get on
  20. march — the month
  21. file — a tool
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stock — goods

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