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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fork — in a road
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. capital — money
  14. rest — a break
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. branch — a division
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. hand — help
  22. capital — a city
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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