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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — in music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. season — of the year
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. roll — a list
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. branch — a division
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. season — in sport
  24. bear — to put up with

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