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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — a division
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — a country
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tear — from crying
  14. land — ground
  15. track — a song
  16. land — to come down
  17. bass — low music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. ball — a great time
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. track — a path
  24. pitch — completely

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