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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. firm — steady
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ball — a dance
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wound — an injury
  7. object — a thing
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ball — a great time
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — to protest
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. object — an aim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. firm — a company
  23. branch — a division
  24. leaves — lets stay

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