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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. toast — bread
  3. date — the fruit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ball — a great time
  24. deal — to handle

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