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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mug — a face
  3. land — ground
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — a division
  6. land — a country
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mate — a partner
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bound — certain
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. mate — to breed
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — tied together
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. land — to come down

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