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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. clip — a video
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. clip — to cut
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. clip — for paper
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. branch — a division

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