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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rest — what's left
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rest — a break
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cue — a signal
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mark — a trace
  24. branch — of a tree

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