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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: racket · pitch · season · nail · press · pitcher · squash · branch

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. press — to push
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — in sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. press — a publisher
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. squash — the sport

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