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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a document
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. kid — child

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