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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pop — music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mug — to rob
  5. land — to come down
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. season — of the year
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pop — soda
  12. branch — a division
  13. land — ground
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. land — a country

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