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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: pitcher · track · lean · rush · bass · pit · branch · court

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lean — thin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. track — a path
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. court — of a king
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. court — for sport
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. court — of law
  23. track — to keep track
  24. branch — of a bank

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