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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 120 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 · season · sharp · club · object · chair · foot

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. club — for golf
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. object — a thing
  14. foot — a measure
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. season — of the year
  20. chair — a leader
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pitch — completely

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