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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. vault — a safe
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. clip — to cut
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mate — to breed
  12. club — for golf
  13. clip — for paper
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mate — a friend
  18. club — a group
  19. fine — all right
  20. branch — a division
  21. clip — a video
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fork — in a road

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