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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. season — in sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. season — of the year
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. object — to protest
  19. pop — to visit
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pop — music
  24. calf — of the leg

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