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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: mate · fine · track · hide · roll · branch · last · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fine — high quality
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. game — a match
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mate — to breed
  11. last — final
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. last — to go on
  17. roll — a list
  18. branch — a division
  19. last — finally
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fine — all right
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. track — a song

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