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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: hand · prune · pitch · stick · rash · branch · object · fan

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. branch — a division
  11. rash — a series
  12. prune — to trim
  13. object — to protest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. object — an aim
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. object — a thing
  24. rash — on the skin

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