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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. swing — to play on
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. suit — to fit
  9. swing — in golf
  10. suit — clothes
  11. degree — an amount
  12. swing — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. degree — from a university
  15. track — a path
  16. pitch — completely
  17. branch — a division
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. suit — in cards
  24. spring — of water

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