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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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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: cap · cue · pitch · mine · fall · craft · row · branch

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cue — a hint
  4. craft — boats
  5. pitch — completely
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mine — for digging
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — a line
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. branch — a division
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cue — a signal
  24. branch — of a bank

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