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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bass — low music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. staff — employees
  8. bass — the fish
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. hand — help
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — employees
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. branch — a division
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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