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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. kick — in football
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. branch — a division
  6. fine — all right
  7. chest — of your body
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chest — a box
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. chest — of your body
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. deal — to handle
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. present — a gift
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kick — a thrill

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