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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. branch — a division
  10. club — for dancing
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spring — the season
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. spring — of water
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. spring — a coil

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