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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: pitch · fork · pit · board · press · jam · branch · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. press — to push
  5. object — an aim
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pitch — completely
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. press — a publisher
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. branch — a division
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fork — in a road
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. press — newspapers
  22. board — to get on
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. board — a flat piece

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