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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: sharp · rock · can · squash · pitch · track · branch · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. track — a song
  3. sharp — clever
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. branch — a division
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rock — a stone
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. squash — to crush
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. track — a path

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