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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — a division
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. game — wild animals
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pit — in a race
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. stand — to bear
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bank — for money
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bank — of a river
  24. game — a match

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