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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. track — to keep track
  5. branch — a division
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. club — for dancing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — a grade
  11. squash — to crush
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. club — for golf
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — a trace
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a song
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. track — a path
  23. lie — to recline
  24. squash — the vegetable

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