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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. kid — to tease
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. land — to come down
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. kid — child
  11. squash — to crush
  12. net — for catching
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — ground
  17. squash — the sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. pitch — completely
  20. land — a country
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. net — in sport

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