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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 120 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: mug · season · clip · coach · branch · club · pitch · nail

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — a division
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. clip — a video
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. clip — to cut
  10. club — a group
  11. clip — for paper
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mug — a face
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — in sport
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. season — of the year
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mug — to rob

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