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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. branch — a division
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pass — a permit
  7. game — wild animals
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rash — a series
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. prune — to trim
  24. branch — of a bank

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