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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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468
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ground — a position
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rest — a break
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — to hit hard

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