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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — a division
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a signal
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitch — completely
  17. can — a tin
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cue — for pool
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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