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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 116 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: fine · march · pound · fork · pass · board · branch · row

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. board — a committee
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pound — a weight
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. march — music
  9. board — to get on
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fine — all right
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. row — a line
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fork — in a road
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fine — high quality
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pass — to spend time

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