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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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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: pitch · ground · cell · firm · file · branch · coach · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. branch — a division
  3. ground — the earth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. firm — decided
  6. ground — a position
  7. pitch — completely
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. file — a line of people
  11. firm — steady
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cell — a phone
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. firm — a company
  20. file — a document
  21. cell — in biology
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. file — a tool

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