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

Word bank: pitch · ground · pound · branch · cue · bear · lie · wound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. ground — a position
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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