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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: board · march · branch · fork · ruler · suit · ground · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cell — in biology
  4. board — to get on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. march — the month
  12. ground — a position
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. branch — a division
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ground — crushed
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — the month
  22. board — a committee
  23. fork — in a road
  24. march — music

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