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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
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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: row · file · pitcher · branch · pitch · fork · key · leaves

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. file — a document
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fork — in a road
  9. key — the most important part
  10. row — to paddle
  11. branch — a division
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. file — a tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. row — a line
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — in music
  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