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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pit — in a race
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a document
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. prune — to trim
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pass — a permit
  19. file — a tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bat — for 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