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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. branch — a division
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pitch — completely
  17. club — for golf
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. club — a group
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — a committee
  24. mug — to rob

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