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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. branch — a division
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stock — goods
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. pit — a hole
  19. band — a ring
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stock — shares
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ground — crushed

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