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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. snap — to click
  10. date — the fruit
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bat — the animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — a tin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. branch — a division

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