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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wax — to grow
  15. firm — a company
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ground — crushed
  20. firm — decided
  21. ground — a position
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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