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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. file — a line of people
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. court — of law
  14. file — a tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. race — humankind
  19. branch — a division
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. file — a document

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