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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pitch — completely
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — a division
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

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