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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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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: pop · bat · stand · branch · cabinet · pit · mouse · rash

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. bat — the animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pop — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — a series

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