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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 · leaves · degree · court · snap · pit · branch · rash

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. court — of a king
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. snap — to click
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. degree — temperature
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rash — a series
  14. pitch — completely
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. degree — from a university
  19. court — of law
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. degree — an amount
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. branch — a division

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