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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mine — for digging
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fine — all right
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ball — a dance
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. branch — a division
  24. mine — an explosive

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