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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · clip · scale · stick · pitch · bay · season · branch

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. season — in sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. clip — to cut
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. branch — a division
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. clip — a video

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