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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitch — completely
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. charge — in control
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bear — the animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. field — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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