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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 124 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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. present — a gift
  3. board — a committee
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. current — happening now
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fork — in a road
  16. board — to get on
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fork — a garden tool

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