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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cue — a hint
  5. net — in sport
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — a signal
  8. branch — a division
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. scale — size or range
  12. land — ground
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cue — for pool
  16. land — a country
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. net — after costs
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rule — a law
  21. land — to come down
  22. squash — to crush
  23. net — for catching
  24. rule — government

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