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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pit — in a race
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pop — music
  14. scale — in music
  15. capital — money
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chair — a leader
  18. capital — a city
  19. pop — soda
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. scale — size or range
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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