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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. date — the fruit
  5. firm — steady
  6. scale — in music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pit — a hole
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ground — the earth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. firm — decided
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. firm — a company
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ground — a position

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