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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. degree — temperature
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fine — all right
  11. degree — from a university
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. suit — to fit
  15. key — in music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. key — for a lock
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mate — to breed
  23. suit — in cards
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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