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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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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: branch · court · cabinet · pitch · stick · bowl · row · rule

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. row — a line
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. court — of law
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rule — a law
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. branch — a division
  22. rule — government
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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