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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. ground — crushed
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. snap — to click
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — a price
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. charge — in control
  16. staff — a stick
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. charge — electricity
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pitch — completely
  21. club — a group
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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