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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pit — in a race
  5. track — a song
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. branch — a division
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — after costs
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. net — for catching
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pop — soda
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pop — to visit

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