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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. squash — the sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. branch — of a bank

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