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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. branch — a division
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bound — tied together
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. spell — magic
  12. bound — certain
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lean — thin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spell — letters
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ball — a dance
  22. scale — size or range
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ball — a great time

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