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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fine — all right
  7. pitch — completely
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — high quality
  10. branch — a division
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. snap — to click
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pop — music

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