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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. wake — a trail
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mark — a grade
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mark — a trace
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. prune — to trim
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a partner

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