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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. drill — a practice
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — army training
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rock — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cue — for pool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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