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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.

Make a worksheet

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: nail · fan · pit · squash · firm · date · toast · branch

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. firm — a company
  4. toast — bread
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. firm — steady
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. firm — decided
  14. squash — the sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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