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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. craft — a skill
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pop — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — the month
  12. swing — to play on
  13. deal — to handle
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pop — soda
  16. squash — to crush
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. squash — the sport
  20. swing — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. march — music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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