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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: cabinet · branch · current · court · drill · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. branch — a division
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. court — for sport
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — army training
  12. current — happening now
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king

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