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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. branch — a division
  4. pound — a weight
  5. content — happy
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bound — tied together
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bound — certain
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pound — to hit hard

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