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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bass — the fish
  3. branch — a division
  4. last — finally
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bass — low music
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. last — final
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. last — to go on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mine — for digging
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mouse — the 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