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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: branch · squash · toast · bore · cabinet · can · land · pitch

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitch — completely
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bore — to drill
  17. squash — to crush
  18. toast — bread
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. can — a tin
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. land — ground

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