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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — a division
  4. march — music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mug — to rob
  9. present — a gift
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. present — the time now
  13. mug — a face
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bore — to tire
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. present — there
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bore — to drill

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