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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. swing — music
  12. present — the time now
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ground — crushed
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ground — a position

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