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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pop — to visit
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pop — music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — soda
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bat — the animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. game — a match
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. charge — electricity

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