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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: ground · court · saw · safe · shower · branch · pitch · can

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ground — the earth
  4. court — of a king
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — of law
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. ground — a position
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. branch — a division
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ground — crushed
  19. can — a tin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. can — to be able to

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