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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mug — a face
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. squash — the sport
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bark — to shout
  14. squash — to crush
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — to rob
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. branch — a division
  23. march — music
  24. bowl — to roll

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