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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. branch — a division
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bass — low music
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. game — a match
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — a leader
  24. game — wild animals

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