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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 124 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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 — a division
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mug — to rob
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bark — of a tree
  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