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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. land — ground
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — a friend
  14. land — to come down
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. branch — a division
  20. land — a country
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. branch — of a tree

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