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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. season — of the year
  14. date — the fruit
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wake — a trail
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. jam — a tight spot

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