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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. net — in sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. rest — a break
  8. branch — a division
  9. rest — what's left
  10. object — an aim
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. club — a group
  18. wake — a trail
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. club — for dancing
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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