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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 · stand · season · land · perch · deal · kick

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. deal — to handle
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. season — in sport
  10. land — to come down
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. land — a country
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. land — ground
  17. kick — in football
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — of the year
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kick — a thrill

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