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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. firm — a company
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ground — a position
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bass — low music
  9. cue — for pool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cue — a hint
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — decided
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. firm — steady
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cue — a signal

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