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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — to rob
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bulb — for light
  10. track — a path
  11. mug — a face
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. branch — a division
  16. track — a song
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — to handle
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. pitch — completely
  23. track — to keep track
  24. land — a country

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