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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cue — a hint
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rest — a break
  6. fine — all right
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — a list
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bulb — of a plant

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