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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — soda
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tube — a container
  9. wake — a trail
  10. branch — a division
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rock — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mark — a grade
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pit — a hole
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pop — music

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