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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. current — happening now
  3. mate — to breed
  4. net — for catching
  5. court — of a king
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. court — of law
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitch — completely
  18. branch — a division
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — for sport
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bound — obliged

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