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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 116 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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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 · snap · branch · rock · pass · straw · field · bank

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. field — a subject
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pass — a permit
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. field — for sport
  17. snap — to click
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. branch — a division
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. field — farmland
  24. bank — for money

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