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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. branch — a division
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spring — a coil
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — high quality
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fine — all right
  19. spring — of water
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mine — an explosive

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