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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: wound · pop · coach · branch · spell · tube · mark · pitch

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. tube — a container
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. spell — letters
  9. pop — music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pop — to visit
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pop — soda
  16. branch — a division
  17. wound — an injury
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spell — magic
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — in a tire

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