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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.

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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: object · pound · branch · fall · craft · court · pitch · cue

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. object — to protest
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. court — of a king
  8. craft — boats
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fall — the season
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. court — of law
  21. branch — a division
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cue — for pool

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