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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: pitch · stick · branch · cabinet · field · swing · mug · current

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. field — for sport
  8. swing — music
  9. current — of water
  10. field — a subject
  11. current — happening now
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — to rob
  14. current — electric
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mug — a face
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — farmland
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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