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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. game — wild animals
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ground — crushed
  8. game — a match
  9. toast — bread
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pitch — completely
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. ground — a position
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. branch — a division
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bark — to shout

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