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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. deal — to handle
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pit — in a race
  7. date — the fruit
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. file — a tool
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. game — a match
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. branch — a division
  16. pit — a hole
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mug — a face
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. file — a document
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mug — a cup

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