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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pop — to visit
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. content — happy
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. branch — a division
  21. content — the amount
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pop — soda
  24. can — to be able to

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