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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. track — a path
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — a committee
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — a song
  7. lean — to bend
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — thin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. board — to get on
  14. branch — a division
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — to keep track
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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