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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 120 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: branch · chip · bay · patient · pitch · foot · stock · prune

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — completely
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. branch — a division
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stock — shares
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — a measure
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. branch — of a tree

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