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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. can — to be able to
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. track — a path
  8. perch — the fish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — a division
  13. race — the arms race
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. race — a contest
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bass — the fish
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. race — humankind
  24. bass — low music

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