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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. toast — bread
  3. branch — a division
  4. game — a match
  5. firm — decided
  6. band — a music group
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pass — a permit
  10. firm — a company
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mug — to rob
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pit — in a race
  21. band — a ring
  22. game — wild animals
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. firm — steady

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