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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. track — a path
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — a division
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. present — a gift
  24. hide — to keep secret

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