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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cap — a hat
  4. branch — a division
  5. net — in sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. present — there
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cap — of ice
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. net — after costs
  18. kick — in football
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cap — a lid
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. net — for catching
  24. bass — low music

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