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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cell — in biology
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — a signal
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — a division
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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