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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spell — magic
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. track — a path
  6. cue — a hint
  7. branch — a division
  8. object — a thing
  9. track — a song
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. sharp — clever
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. track — to keep track
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. object — to protest
  18. cue — a signal
  19. object — an aim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — letters
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cue — for pool

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