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

Word bank: deal · bear · date · march · pitch · arm · bay · branch

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bear — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. date — the fruit
  7. march — music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. branch — a division
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. march — the month
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. march — the month
  24. arm — part of the body

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