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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · cue · clip · branch · arm · pit · bear · bowl

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mate — a friend
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cue — a hint
  15. branch — a division
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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