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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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 — a sports field
  2. branch — a division
  3. march — the month
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. staff — a stick
  15. plane — a tool
  16. march — music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bear — the animal
  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