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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. club — a group
  3. track — to keep track
  4. spell — magic
  5. track — a song
  6. club — for dancing
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. track — a path
  9. cell — in biology
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mate — a friend
  13. club — for golf
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spell — letters
  21. branch — a division
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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