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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · land · branch · toast · bay · mark · pitch · last

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. last — finally
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. toast — bread
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. last — final
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. land — ground
  20. branch — a division
  21. land — to come down
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — a country
  24. pitch — a sports field

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