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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. swing — music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. scale — size or range
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. swing — in golf
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pit — a hole
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. root — the cause
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — in a race
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. scale — in music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. branch — a division

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