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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. game — a match
  4. branch — a division
  5. hand — help
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bass — the fish
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — low music
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. game — wild animals
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bowl — to roll

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