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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cue — for pool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bank — for money
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cue — a signal
  11. land — a country
  12. game — a match
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — completely
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. land — to come down
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bank — of a river
  21. land — ground
  22. cue — a hint
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. branch — a division

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