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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. game — a match
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pitch — completely
  6. hand — help
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — wild animals
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. craft — boats
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mate — a partner

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