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

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. branch — a division
  13. chair — a leader
  14. prune — to trim
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — a stone

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