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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rest — a break
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — boats
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. branch — a division
  24. chip — in a computer

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