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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
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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: bear · branch · pitch · track · face · perch · court · stem

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitch — completely
  4. face — to confront
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. court — for sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. branch — a division
  12. court — of law
  13. track — a song
  14. stem — to come from
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. track — a path
  17. court — of a king
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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