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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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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: pitch · fan · lie · branch · last · clip · cue · staff

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lie — to recline
  5. last — finally
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. last — to go on
  10. clip — for paper
  11. cue — a signal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. branch — a division
  17. clip — a video
  18. cue — a hint
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — final
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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