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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. dip — to sink
  3. last — to go on
  4. squash — to crush
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pop — soda
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pop — to visit
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. last — final
  17. squash — the sport
  18. foot — a measure
  19. last — finally
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. branch — a division
  24. pop — music

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