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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mate — a partner
  5. track — a song
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mate — to breed
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. season — in sport
  17. branch — a division
  18. club — for golf
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. track — to keep track
  22. season — of the year
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mate — a friend

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