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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. key — in music
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. branch — a division
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ground — a position
  11. perch — the fish
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ground — the earth
  24. perch — for a bird

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