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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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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: deal · sharp · mouse · pop · pass · branch · race · stem

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. branch — a division
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pop — music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pop — soda
  17. stem — to come from
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. race — humankind
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mouse — the animal

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