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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bat — the animal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. date — the fruit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. branch — a division
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. branch — of a bank

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