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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: land · lean · branch · coach · pitch · rock · saw · cabinet

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — a division
  5. lean — to bend
  6. land — a country
  7. lean — thin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. land — to come down
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. land — ground
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. coach — a trainer

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