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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — a grade
  19. branch — a division
  20. wax — to grow
  21. net — after costs
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bear — the animal

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