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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. suit — to fit
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. toast — bread
  6. clip — a video
  7. field — a subject
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. field — farmland
  10. deal — to handle
  11. suit — clothes
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. field — for sport
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pop — to visit
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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