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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. prune — to trim
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. branch — a division
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bass — low music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — for digging

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