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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 116 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: branch · land · mate · ruler · lie · present · pound · pitch

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. present — a gift
  9. land — ground
  10. present — the time now
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. present — there
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mate — a friend

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