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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mate — a friend
  3. last — finally
  4. roll — a list
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mark — a trace
  11. roll — a cake
  12. track — a song
  13. branch — a division
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. last — to go on
  16. mate — a partner
  17. track — to keep track
  18. last — final
  19. pass — a permit
  20. track — a path
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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