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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — money
  5. file — a document
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. branch — a division
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. file — a tool
  18. bass — low music
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — a city
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — for tennis

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