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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: pitch · squash · present · lean · dip · branch · club · rule

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rule — government
  3. pitch — completely
  4. club — a group
  5. present — the time now
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rule — a law
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lean — thin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. club — for golf
  13. present — a gift
  14. branch — a division
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. club — for dancing
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. present — there
  24. squash — the sport

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