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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bound — certain
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mate — a friend
  11. branch — a division
  12. toast — bread
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bound — obliged
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. scale — in music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ground — a position
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ground — the earth
  23. scale — size or range
  24. toast — the most admired

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