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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. sharp — clever
  13. capital — a city
  14. club — for golf
  15. branch — a division
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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