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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 · march · stem · field · pitch · wave · spell

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. march — the month
  9. field — farmland
  10. stem — to come from
  11. spell — magic
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. branch — a division
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. march — the month
  20. field — a subject
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. chip — for betting

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