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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. can — to be able to
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wind — moving air
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — a contest
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. game — a match
  11. can — a tin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — humankind
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wind — to turn a key

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