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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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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: race · spell · branch · toast · mine · stand · pitch · mug

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. branch — a division
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. spell — letters
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mug — to rob
  8. race — humankind
  9. mug — a face
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stand — to bear
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. race — a contest
  21. toast — bread
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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