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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chip — to eat
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitch — a sports field

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