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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. board — to get on
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. drill — army training
  6. board — a committee
  7. drill — the tool
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mate — a partner
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. mate — to breed
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — a division
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. drill — a practice
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. mate — a friend
  24. current — happening now

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