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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. season — of the year
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bear — the animal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. season — in sport
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. season — to add flavour

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