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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mate — to breed
  3. branch — a division
  4. present — there
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. present — a gift
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. capital — money
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. scale — in music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bear — the animal
  24. present — the time now

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