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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. race — a contest
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cue — for pool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — a hint
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. perch — the fish
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. branch — a division
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. branch — of a bank

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