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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pitch — completely
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. perch — the fish
  10. vault — a safe
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pit — in a race
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pit — a hole

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