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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: date · cell · bear · branch · pitch · shower · key · pass

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. branch — a division
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pitch — completely
  18. shower — to wash
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. shower — rain
  22. cell — in biology
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. date — the fruit

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