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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. net — after costs
  5. club — for golf
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. present — the time now
  8. season — of the year
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. season — in sport
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. club — for dancing
  14. branch — a division
  15. club — a group
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. present — there
  19. last — finally
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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