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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ground — a position
  8. branch — a division
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fall — to drop
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fall — the season
  17. mark — a trace
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — a break
  24. fall — to drop

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