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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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Word bank
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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: last · pit · branch · date · mate · mouse · cell · board

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. last — final
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cell — in biology
  11. board — to get on
  12. cell — a phone
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mate — a partner
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. last — finally

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