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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: ball · content · craft · pitch · rule · branch · cell · can

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ball — a great time
  8. branch — a division
  9. can — to be able to
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cell — in biology
  13. content — the amount
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rule — government
  16. pitch — completely
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rule — a law
  20. ball — a dance
  21. can — a tin
  22. content — happy
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — of a bank

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