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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. club — a group
  4. track — a path
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. club — for golf
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. track — to keep track
  17. toast — bread
  18. branch — of a tree

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