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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 116 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: track · march · hide · pitch · mine · stick · branch · fine

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. track — a path
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fine — all right
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. march — the month
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. march — music
  15. track — a song
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. track — to keep track

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