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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.

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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: pound · bay · bat · saw · branch · pitch · bulb · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bat — the animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pound — a weight
  14. branch — a division
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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