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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: mine · pass · branch · cue · bat · bay · content · object

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. branch — a division
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mine — for digging
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — to protest
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. object — an aim
  14. content — happy
  15. bat — the animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. object — a thing
  23. content — the amount
  24. cue — a hint

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