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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pound — a weight
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

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