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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. ground — a position
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rest — a break
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. scale — size or range
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. drill — army training
  14. branch — a division
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ground — the earth
  17. scale — in music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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