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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: fall · leaves · branch · mark · pitcher · bat · safe · cue

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. fall — to drop
  12. branch — a division
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cue — a signal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cue — a hint
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. branch — of a tree

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