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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rule — government
  4. net — for catching
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bulb — for light
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — after costs
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bat — the animal
  18. net — in sport
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pop — to visit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. arm — a part of something

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