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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. foot — a measure
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. row — a line
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. land — a country
  8. row — to paddle
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. branch — a division
  13. track — a path
  14. land — ground
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bass — low music
  17. land — to come down
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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