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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. cell — in biology
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — a phone
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bass — low music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. branch — a division
  22. cap — a hat
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. date — the fruit

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