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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cue — a signal
  13. scale — in music
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — the month
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ball — a dance
  21. march — music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. branch — a division
  24. march — the month

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