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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rash — hasty
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rush — hurry
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pit — a hole
  12. track — a song
  13. rash — a series
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — low music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. perch — the fish
  22. track — a path
  23. branch — a division
  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