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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. row — a line
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. plane — a tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cold — an illness
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pitch — completely
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. safe — out of danger

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