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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 124 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spell — letters
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitch — completely
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. present — there
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — magic
  20. present — the time now
  21. toast — bread
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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