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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. band — a ring
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pitch — completely
  7. branch — a division
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. band — a music group
  10. track — a song
  11. rush — hurry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — a path
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. branch — of a tree

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