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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. branch — a division
  3. face — part of the head
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. band — a music group
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stock — shares
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stock — goods
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. face — to confront
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. band — a ring
  22. pass — a permit
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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