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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. club — for golf
  2. pitch — completely
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — of law
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. track — a path
  11. object — an aim
  12. club — a group
  13. bass — low music
  14. object — to protest
  15. track — to keep track
  16. object — a thing
  17. track — a song
  18. club — for dancing
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. kid — child
  23. branch — a division
  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