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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — a division
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. squash — the sport
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. scale — in music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitch — completely
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wind — moving air
  21. squash — to crush
  22. craft — boats
  23. wind — moving air
  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