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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: wake · branch · bowl · fine · board · dip · pop · season

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pop — music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. branch — a division
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. season — of the year
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. season — in sport
  22. dip — to sink
  23. board — to get on
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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