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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.

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: net · bat · arm · leaves · rock · branch · pitch · foot

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bat — the animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. net — in sport
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — music
  10. foot — a measure
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. branch — a division
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitch — completely
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. arm — part of the body

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