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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — a position
  5. craft — a skill
  6. staff — employees
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. staff — employees
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. staff — a stick
  17. board — to get on
  18. craft — boats
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. board — a committee
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ground — crushed
  23. branch — a division
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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