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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fork — in a road
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mate — to breed
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. branch — a division
  15. spring — of water
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fine — all right
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fine — a penalty

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