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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · mark · rest · file · row · bound · mug · branch

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bound — certain
  3. row — to paddle
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. pit — in a race
  10. file — a document
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mug — a face
  15. file — a tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pit — a hole
  20. row — a line
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bound — tied together

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