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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. land — a country
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pop — soda
  5. rock — a stone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a path
  8. pop — to visit
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — crushed
  11. object — an aim
  12. track — a song
  13. land — to come down
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pop — music
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. ground — the earth
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. land — ground
  22. object — to protest
  23. ground — a position
  24. branch — of a bank

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