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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 · bulb · wind · court · cabinet · key · pitch · staff

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. court — of law
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — in music
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. court — for sport
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — for a lock
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. staff — employees
  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