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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fine — all right
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pound — a weight
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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