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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mate — to breed
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — a friend
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. track — a path
  17. branch — a division
  18. court — of law
  19. rest — a break
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a song
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. date — on the calendar

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