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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: spell · branch · field · row · squash · pass · bear · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — farmland
  6. spell — letters
  7. pass — a permit
  8. row — a line
  9. field — for sport
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. branch — a division
  16. row — to paddle
  17. spell — magic
  18. pop — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. field — a subject
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. spell — a short time

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