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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: bowl · last · sharp · fine · pitch · mug · roll · branch

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. last — to go on
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fine — high quality
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. last — final
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mug — a face
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. last — finally
  18. branch — a division
  19. pitch — completely
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. sharp — with an edge

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