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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. net — after costs
  5. drill — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. drill — a practice
  8. branch — a division
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a signal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. date — the fruit
  18. key — in music
  19. net — in sport
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. drill — army training

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