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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ground — crushed
  4. firm — steady
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ground — a position
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. firm — a company
  9. rock — music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. court — of law
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. court — of a king
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. ground — the earth
  17. court — for sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bat — the animal
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — a division
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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