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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rash — a series
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bound — certain
  17. pound — a weight
  18. branch — a division
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pit — in a race
  24. swing — music

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