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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: branch · wave · ball · craft · fork · bulb · pitch · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitch — completely
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. craft — boats
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. present — there
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. present — the time now
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. branch — a division
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. ball — a dance

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