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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · branch · root · mark · pitch · bat · pitcher · fork

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. root — of a word
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. root — the cause
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pitch — completely
  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