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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wound — an injury
  11. squash — the sport
  12. current — of water
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — a division
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. current — happening now
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. current — electric
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. game — a match

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