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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 124 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cue — for pool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. branch — a division
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. toast — bread
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. branch — of a tree

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