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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. scale — in music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. deal — to handle
  8. branch — a division
  9. hand — in cards
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stem — to come from
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stem — a stem cell

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