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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. firm — steady
  3. spring — the season
  4. firm — a company
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. branch — a division
  11. club — a group
  12. firm — decided
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. branch — of a bank

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