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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mate — a partner
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mate — to breed
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. root — of a word
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. root — the cause
  21. lie — to recline
  22. root — of a plant
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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