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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pop — soda
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — to come down
  7. branch — a division
  8. bass — low music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. land — a country
  11. bass — the fish
  12. land — ground
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pop — music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. shower — rain

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