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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. present — a gift
  3. mug — a face
  4. present — there
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — completely
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mug — a cup
  15. branch — a division
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fine — all right
  19. present — the time now
  20. pop — music
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — soda

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