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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 120 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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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: mug · squash · hand · branch · bay · cue · fine · track

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. track — a song
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. branch — a division
  13. squash — to crush
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hand — help
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fine — all right
  23. mug — a face
  24. track — a path

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