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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.

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: game · snap · pitch · sharp · branch · object · wave · cabinet

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. object — a thing
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. snap — to click
  8. game — a match
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — a division
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — completely
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. object — an aim
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. sharp — exactly

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