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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. branch — a division
  8. mark — a trace
  9. capital — a city
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. present — a gift
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rush — hurry
  19. present — the time now
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bark — to shout
  22. capital — money
  23. present — there
  24. mark — a grade

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