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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. snap — to click
  11. bat — the animal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. branch — a division
  23. mate — a friend
  24. present — the time now

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