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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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Word bank
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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cue — a hint
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — high quality
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. net — after costs
  15. march — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — for catching
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. march — the month
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. game — a match
  24. cue — for pool

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