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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. land — a country
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. branch — a division
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mate — to breed
  9. land — ground
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mate — a friend
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. land — to come down
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. swing — in golf
  23. track — a path
  24. toast — bread

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