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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitch — completely
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. track — a song
  7. chest — a box
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. snap — to click
  10. scale — size or range
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. scale — in music
  15. track — a path
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. branch — a division
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bowl — a football final

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