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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. track — to keep track
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. track — a path
  7. perch — the fish
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. present — a gift
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. track — a song
  12. present — the time now
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — completely
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. press — to push
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

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