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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — to confront
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. field — a subject
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — farmland
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. field — for sport
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. branch — a division
  24. wound — an injury

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