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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitch — completely
  3. craft — a skill
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. craft — boats
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. prune — to trim
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. dip — to sink
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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