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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.

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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 · court · prune · bay · file · lash · mark · pitch

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. pitch — completely
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. court — of a king
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. file — a tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mark — a grade
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. file — a document
  24. mark — a trace

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