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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pop — soda
  3. pitch — completely
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pop — to visit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pop — music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pitch — a sports field

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