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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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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: pitch · branch · rule · lean · firm · board · mine · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mine — for digging
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — decided
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rule — government
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. firm — a company
  16. lean — thin
  17. branch — a division
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. firm — steady
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. branch — of a tree

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