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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: pitch · branch · date · rule · season · field · pit · toast

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rule — a law
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. field — a subject
  11. rule — government
  12. season — of the year
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. field — for sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pit — a hole
  19. date — the fruit
  20. toast — bread
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. field — farmland

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