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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — crushed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — a position
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. current — of water
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. branch — a division
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitch — completely
  19. current — electric
  20. stock — goods
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stock — shares

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