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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. scale — size or range
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a committee
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. scale — in music
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — a company
  18. last — final
  19. firm — decided
  20. prune — to trim
  21. firm — steady
  22. can — to be able to
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. scale — for weighing

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