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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rock — music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — a path
  10. cap — a hat
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. squash — the sport
  14. track — to keep track
  15. branch — a division
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — obliged
  23. track — a song
  24. bound — certain

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