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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · mouse · chip · pitch · field · lie · bark · branch

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lie — to recline
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — a subject
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. field — for sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. field — farmland
  24. bark — to shout

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