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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: bat · branch · stand · pitch · wave · mark · chair · ball

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. branch — a division
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ball — a dance
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mark — a trace

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