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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chip — for betting
  13. tear — to rip
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stand — to bear

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