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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: kick · bound · present · board · bank · pitch · branch · squash

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. present — there
  3. bound — certain
  4. board — a committee
  5. bound — obliged
  6. squash — the sport
  7. kick — in football
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. squash — to crush
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. board — to get on
  17. present — the time now
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. squash — the vegetable

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