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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: toast · pitch · rest · branch · drill · fan · bulb · deal

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — completely
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. toast — bread
  11. rest — a break
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. drill — a practice
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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