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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ground — a position
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. kick — in football
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ground — crushed
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. scale — in music
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ground — the earth
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — a division
  23. pound — a weight
  24. branch — of a tree

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