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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: face · firm · bore · stick · branch · board · date · pitcher

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. board — a committee
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. board — to get on
  9. firm — a company
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. face — part of the head
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. firm — decided
  19. face — to confront
  20. firm — steady
  21. date — the fruit
  22. branch — a division
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitcher — a jug

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