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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: safe · pitcher · branch · cue · pit · mine · chair · kick

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. kick — in football
  13. branch — a division
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cue — for pool

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