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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: jam · march · capital · fan · mouse · mug · squash · branch

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. march — the month
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. march — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mug — a face
  13. capital — money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mug — to rob
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. squash — the sport

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