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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mate — to breed
  3. field — farmland
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rock — music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. field — for sport
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bore — to drill
  13. field — a subject
  14. mate — a partner
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mark — a grade
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. branch — a division
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. sharp — with an edge

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