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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. capital — a city
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. capital — money
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. branch — a division
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitch — completely

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