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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. net — in sport
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — for catching
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. net — after costs
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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