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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. game — a match
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. club — a group
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. clip — a video
  13. game — wild animals
  14. branch — a division
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pass — a permit
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. club — for dancing
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. club — for golf
  24. pass — to succeed

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