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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: pitch · cap · bay · fan · bore · branch · net · racket

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cap — a lid
  6. branch — a division
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. net — for catching
  10. bore — to drill
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cap — of ice
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. net — in sport

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