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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. band — a ring
  3. mark — a grade
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a music group
  11. track — a path
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — a division
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. track — to keep track
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. track — a song
  21. mark — a trace
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mark — to pay attention

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