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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. firm — steady
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. firm — a company
  9. toast — bread
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. firm — decided
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. degree — an amount
  17. capital — a city
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. capital — money
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mate — a partner

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