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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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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: squash · can · bear · rest · pit · march · branch · firm

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. march — the month
  4. can — to be able to
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. march — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. squash — the sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — a break
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pit — a hole
  22. firm — a company
  23. march — the month
  24. pit — in a race

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