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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: fan · cap · branch · mark · board · lash · tear · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. branch — a division
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. board — to get on
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. board — a committee
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tear — from crying
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cap — a lid
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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