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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. last — to go on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. last — finally
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. perch — the fish
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. track — to keep track
  15. last — final
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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