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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. net — in sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spell — letters
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — a division
  16. net — for catching
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. net — after costs
  20. rock — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. spell — a short time

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