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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. pit — a hole
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rash — a series
  8. ground — the earth
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. branch — a division
  11. ground — a position
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pit — in a race
  23. ground — crushed
  24. branch — of a bank

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