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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wake — a trail
  3. file — a line of people
  4. branch — a division
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. file — a document
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bass — low music
  20. file — a tool
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bass — the fish

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