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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. capital — money
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bark — to shout
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a signal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. capital — a city
  17. branch — a division
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cue — for pool
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pitch — completely

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