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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mate — to breed
  4. branch — a division
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — a company
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. firm — decided
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — a stick
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bound — certain
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mate — a partner
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. staff — employees
  23. firm — steady
  24. prune — to trim

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