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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rule — government
  3. scale — size or range
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rule — a law
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bear — the animal
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. scale — in music
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. branch — a division
  20. bear — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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