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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. branch — a division
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spring — the season
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fine — all right
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. drill — army training
  22. spring — of water
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spring — a coil

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