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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 124 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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. squash — to crush
  7. branch — a division
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — a path
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. file — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. foot — a measure
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. file — a document

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