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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. net — in sport
  15. key — in music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. row — a line
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitch — completely

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