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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bass — the fish
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. branch — a division
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bass — low music
  24. toast — bread

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