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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.

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: mate · file · ground · prune · branch · bear · pitch · lie

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bear — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a document
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ground — a position
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — a friend
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. file — a tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bear — the animal

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