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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. net — for catching
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. degree — from a university
  12. saw — the tool
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. degree — an amount
  16. present — there
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. net — in sport
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. degree — temperature

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