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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 120 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: present · branch · bay · club · board · mouse · content · chest

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. branch — a division
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. club — for golf
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chest — of your body
  15. present — the time now
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. club — a group
  19. present — there
  20. chest — a box
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chest — of your body
  23. board — a committee
  24. content — videos and posts

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