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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
468
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: toast · branch · bowl · rock · bat · track · arm · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rock — music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rock — a stone
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. track — a path
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. toast — bread
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. track — a song
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. branch — a division
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. squash — the sport
  24. toast — the most admired

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