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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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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: stick · cell · board · toast · chip · branch · safe · racket

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. board — to get on
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chip — for betting
  10. branch — a division
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — to eat
  21. board — a committee
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. board — a flat piece

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