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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: track · bowl · pitch · firm · drill · game · branch · spell

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — a division
  3. spell — magic
  4. game — wild animals
  5. track — a song
  6. spell — letters
  7. firm — decided
  8. pitch — completely
  9. drill — the tool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. game — a match
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. firm — steady
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. drill — army training
  21. track — a path
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. firm — a company
  24. branch — of a bank

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