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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. ground — a position
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ground — crushed
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — the earth
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wake — a trail
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. branch — a division
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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