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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: court · pitch · fine · net · march · branch · bulb · dip

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — for sport
  5. fine — high quality
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. court — of a king
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — a division
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. net — for catching
  20. court — of law
  21. net — after costs
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fine — all right
  24. net — in sport

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