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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chip — for betting
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. saw — the tool
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bat — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. branch — a division

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