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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: kick · branch · safe · row · pitch · clip · deal · track

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — to cut
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. clip — a video
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. track — a path
  11. deal — to handle
  12. clip — for paper
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitch — completely
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. track — a song
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. track — to keep track
  23. row — a line
  24. branch — a division

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