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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: rush · date · pitch · cell · arm · rest · branch · object

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cell — in biology
  7. object — an aim
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. object — to protest
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rest — a break
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. object — a thing
  16. pitch — completely
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cell — a phone

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