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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. branch — a division
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chest — a box
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. snap — to click
  24. rush — to hurry

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