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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a great time
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cell — in biology
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fine — high quality
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cell — a phone
  22. degree — an amount
  23. branch — a division
  24. fine — all right

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