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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitch — completely
  7. swing — to play on
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. net — in sport
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. branch — a division
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — after costs
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. swing — music
  21. net — for catching
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. shower — rain

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