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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bound — tied together
  3. branch — a division
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. squash — the sport
  14. dip — to sink
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rock — music
  24. bound — obliged

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