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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. net — for catching
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. mug — a face
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mug — to rob
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bass — low music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rule — a law
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mug — a cup
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rule — government
  23. bass — the fish
  24. net — in sport

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