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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mine — for digging
  4. branch — a division
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tube — a container
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — completely

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