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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. saw — the tool
  7. capital — a city
  8. branch — a division
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. dip — to sink
  18. capital — money
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitch — completely
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitch — a sports field

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