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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. staff — employees
  4. present — a gift
  5. branch — a division
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — the time now
  9. last — to go on
  10. scale — in music
  11. present — there
  12. staff — a stick
  13. board — a committee
  14. suit — to fit
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. last — finally
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — to get on
  22. saw — the tool
  23. last — final
  24. scale — size or range

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