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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 120 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: swing · branch · coach · pitch · lash · field · pit · key

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. field — a subject
  4. branch — a division
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pit — a hole
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. field — farmland
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — music
  18. field — for sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — in a race
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitch — completely
  24. swing — in golf

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