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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wind — moving air
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. net — in sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. march — the month
  17. swing — music
  18. bark — to shout
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. net — for catching

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