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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 116 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: mark · pit · straw · branch · pitcher · fork · board · cue

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — a division
  4. board — a committee
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fork — in a road
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cue — for pool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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