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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
468
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 · branch · nail · ground · lash · coach · fine · pit

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ground — crushed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. branch — a division
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ground — a position
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. ground — the earth

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