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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: pitch · branch · game · lean · object · kick · suit · stick

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. game — a match
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. object — an aim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — a thing
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. suit — to fit
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitch — completely
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. suit — clothes
  19. game — wild animals
  20. branch — a division
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lean — thin
  23. kick — in football
  24. suit — in cards

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