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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — to visit
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. squash — to crush
  10. perch — the fish
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rash — a series
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pop — soda
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a path
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. squash — the sport
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. track — a song
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — music
  24. saw — the tool

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