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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pitch — completely
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ball — a dance
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a great time
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. branch — a division

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