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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ground — the earth
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. club — for dancing
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. club — for golf
  13. date — the fruit
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. scale — in music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. club — a group
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ground — crushed
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ground — a position
  24. branch — a division

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