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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pit — a hole
  7. firm — steady
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pit — in a race
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. firm — a company
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. staff — employees
  19. branch — a division
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. firm — decided
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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