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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wake — a trail
  5. can — to be able to
  6. club — a group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — a match
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — in a race
  13. club — for golf
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. club — for dancing
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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