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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mark — a trace
  4. branch — a division
  5. spell — letters
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. last — final
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. object — an aim
  13. club — a group
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. spell — magic
  16. object — a thing
  17. last — to go on
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. club — for golf
  20. foot — a measure
  21. last — finally
  22. object — to protest
  23. spell — a short time
  24. foot — the bottom

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