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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of a king
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fork — in a road
  7. court — for sport
  8. present — there
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. present — a gift
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. court — of law
  17. branch — a division
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bass — low music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. present — the time now

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