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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. rock — a stone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rock — music
  14. mug — a face
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — a division
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mug — a cup
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ground — a position
  24. pit — a hole

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