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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. suit — clothes
  3. net — for catching
  4. scale — in music
  5. net — in sport
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. net — after costs
  8. pop — soda
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spell — letters
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. club — a group
  13. spell — a short time
  14. suit — to fit
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spell — magic
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fork — in a road
  23. club — for golf
  24. pop — 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