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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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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: land · suit · pitch · lash · branch · cue · season · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cue — a hint
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. land — to come down
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. season — in sport
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cue — a signal
  15. suit — to fit
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. land — ground
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. season — of the year
  23. land — a country
  24. cue — for pool

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