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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.

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: branch · fine · pitch · bulb · foot · prune · march · stick

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. branch — a division
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. march — the month
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. march — the month
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — high quality
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — completely
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. foot — a measure
  24. march — music

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