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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. row — a line
  4. branch — a division
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. row — to paddle
  8. land — ground
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. land — to come down
  15. rock — music
  16. last — final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. land — a country
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. last — finally
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. toast — bread
  23. last — to go on
  24. rock — a stone

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