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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. race — a contest
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. race — the arms race
  16. scale — in music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. race — humankind
  24. sharp — exactly

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