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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pop — music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. season — of the year
  13. wax — to grow
  14. land — a country
  15. pit — a hole
  16. season — in sport
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. branch — a division
  20. land — ground
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. roll — a list
  24. wax — in the ear

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