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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 · safe · fan · bass · branch · chest · drill · mark

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chest — a box
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mark — a trace
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pitch — completely
  12. drill — the tool
  13. branch — a division
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chest — of your body
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. chest — of your body
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bass — the fish

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