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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. file — a document
  6. pop — to visit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. land — to come down
  11. squash — to crush
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — soda
  14. file — a tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. land — ground
  18. pop — music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. land — a country
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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