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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pop — soda
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. firm — steady
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. firm — a company
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. firm — decided
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mine — belonging to me

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