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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.

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: fork · coach · pitch · branch · bat · mark · row · can

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — a line
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. branch — a division
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mark — a grade
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. row — to paddle
  24. can — a tin

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