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

Word bank: march · board · deal · branch · present · staff · bank · pit

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. march — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. present — a gift
  11. deal — to handle
  12. staff — a stick
  13. march — the month
  14. present — the time now
  15. march — the month
  16. present — there
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — in a race

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