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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. staff — employees
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. branch — a division
  10. staff — a stick
  11. field — a subject
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. mark — a trace
  16. field — for sport
  17. lie — to recline
  18. staff — employees
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. field — farmland
  24. date — the fruit

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