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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ball — a dance
  5. drill — a practice
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rash — hasty
  12. last — to go on
  13. present — there
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rash — a series
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. present — a gift
  24. drill — army training

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