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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. branch — a division
  3. board — to get on
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. root — of a word
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — in music
  9. kid — child
  10. scale — size or range
  11. vault — a safe
  12. swing — to play on
  13. kid — to tease
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. root — of a plant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. swing — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. board — a committee

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