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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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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: branch · kid · staff · pitch · mate · content · fine · club

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. content — happy
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mate — a friend
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. staff — employees
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. club — a group
  12. fine — high quality
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. content — the amount
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fine — all right
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. club — for golf
  24. branch — a division

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