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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. present — the time now
  3. mate — a friend
  4. race — humankind
  5. mate — a partner
  6. present — there
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. band — a ring
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. band — a music group
  14. present — a gift
  15. branch — a division
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. race — a contest
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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