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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. field — a subject
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. key — for a lock
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — farmland
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. field — for sport

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