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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. firm — a company
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. branch — of a tree

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