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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. drill — army training
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. branch — a division
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mate — to breed
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. drill — the tool
  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