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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
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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: date · calf · season · rush · hand · branch · pitch · can

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. season — in sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. branch — a division
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitch — completely
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. can — to be able to
  21. season — of the year
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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