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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. march — music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. court — of law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. court — for sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bore — to tire
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. capital — a city
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. branch — a division
  18. capital — money
  19. march — the month
  20. court — of a king
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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