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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. file — a tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. branch — a division
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a document
  11. can — to be able to
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. file — a line of people
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug

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