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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bass — low music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. can — to be able to
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — temperature
  16. foot — a measure
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — the fish
  24. branch — a division

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