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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. net — in sport
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rest — a break
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tube — a container
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitch — completely
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a match
  21. branch — a division
  22. net — after costs
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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