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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: pitch · branch · fall · object · lash · bat · club · mug

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. club — a group
  4. branch — a division
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. club — for golf
  13. mug — a face
  14. object — to protest
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fall — to drop
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fall — the season
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mug — a cup

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