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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · bass · bat · cell · spell · branch · object · race

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. object — to protest
  5. cell — in biology
  6. spell — magic
  7. cell — a phone
  8. race — humankind
  9. branch — a division
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bass — the fish
  13. object — an aim
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. spell — letters
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. object — a thing
  20. race — a contest
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. race — the arms race
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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