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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. suit — in cards
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. suit — clothes
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. branch — a division
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. suit — to fit

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