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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pit — a hole
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. branch — a division
  8. rock — music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rash — a series
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ball — a great time
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rash — hasty
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. snap — to click
  24. rock — to move gently

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