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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. land — ground
  2. suit — to fit
  3. race — humankind
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mate — a partner
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. suit — clothes
  18. race — a contest
  19. mate — to breed
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitch — completely
  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