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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. degree — temperature
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitch — completely
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — an amount
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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