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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. firm — decided
  7. bear — the animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bear — the animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fall — the season
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. scale — size or range
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. firm — a company
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. shower — rain
  24. branch — of a bank

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