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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. race — a contest
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. race — humankind
  5. net — in sport
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. net — after costs
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rest — what's left
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pass — a permit
  16. branch — a division
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. roll — a cake
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. sharp — clever
  24. saw — the tool

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