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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. dip — to sink
  8. kid — child
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rule — a law
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. kid — to tease
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. march — music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. present — there
  24. rule — government

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