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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mark — a trace
  3. game — a match
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. track — a song
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — happening now
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. game — wild animals
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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