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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — a division
  4. race — the arms race
  5. present — the time now
  6. mark — a grade
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. present — there
  11. race — a contest
  12. firm — a company
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mark — a trace
  15. net — after costs
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. race — humankind
  18. net — in sport
  19. firm — steady
  20. net — for catching
  21. firm — decided
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. present — a gift

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