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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bark — to shout
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. game — a match
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — wild animals
  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