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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.

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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 · wake · pop · court · ground · fine · branch · mug

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mug — a face
  4. pop — music
  5. court — of a king
  6. ground — a position
  7. pop — soda
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fine — high quality
  13. branch — a division
  14. court — of law
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — for sport
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mug — to rob
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wake — a trail

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