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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.

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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: branch · stick · court · pitcher · bat · lean · rush · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. court — for sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. court — of law
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lean — to bend
  24. court — of a king

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