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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. toast — bread
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bass — low music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stand — to bear
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stand — for spectators

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