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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cue — a hint
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — a division
  6. cue — a signal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. net — after costs
  10. row — a line
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bass — low music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. row — to paddle
  18. net — in sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. net — for catching
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bound — certain
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

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