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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: bay · mark · vault · season · court · mug · pitch · branch

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. season — of the year
  3. branch — a division
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mark — a grade
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mug — a face
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. court — of law
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mug — a cup
  23. court — of a king
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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