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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — of the year
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. season — in sport
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mine — for digging
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. mine — an explosive

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