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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rest — a break
  5. object — a thing
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — an aim
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — to protest
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. rash — hasty
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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