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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · content · board · branch · mate · dip · march · fine

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. march — the month
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fine — high quality
  8. march — music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. board — to get on
  13. content — the amount
  14. stand — to bear
  15. content — happy
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. branch — a division
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — all right
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. dip — to dunk

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