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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: pitcher · field · can · branch · fan · prune · bass · pitch

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. field — a subject
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — for sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. field — farmland
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — a tin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — low music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pitch — completely
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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