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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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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. branch — a division
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal

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