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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 116 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. squash — the sport
  5. current — electric
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. degree — temperature
  10. current — of water
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. squash — to crush
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. current — happening now
  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