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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 120 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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — the time now
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. deal — to handle
  11. branch — a division
  12. face — part of the head
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — to confront
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stock — shares
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. present — there
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stock — goods
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. deal — an agreement

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