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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rest — a break
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. current — electric
  8. perch — the fish
  9. current — happening now
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mine — for digging
  14. scale — in music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. scale — size or range
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. current — of water
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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