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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — a division
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — a signal
  17. march — the month
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. branch — of a tree

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