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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. squash — to crush
  3. drill — army training
  4. squash — the sport
  5. firm — decided
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bound — obliged
  8. game — a match
  9. wake — a trail
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bound — tied together
  15. firm — steady
  16. club — for golf
  17. firm — a company
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. game — wild animals
  20. club — a group
  21. bound — certain
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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