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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. swing — to play on
  4. branch — a division
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. scale — in music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mug — to rob
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. swing — music
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rule — a law
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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