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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: content · fine · kid · board · row · branch · date · saw

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. row — to paddle
  3. content — the amount
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. content — happy
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — a division
  12. kid — to tease
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. kid — child
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. row — a line
  20. board — a committee
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. date — the fruit

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