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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. club — a group
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. degree — temperature
  5. club — for dancing
  6. prune — to trim
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. club — for golf
  12. mate — to breed
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. branch — a division
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. prune — to trim
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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