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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. root — of a word
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ball — a dance
  6. branch — a division
  7. mate — a partner
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — low music
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bass — the fish
  18. ball — a great time
  19. root — of a plant
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — the cause
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pit — in a race

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