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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. date — the fruit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. branch — a division
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. scale — size or range
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — decided
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. firm — steady
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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