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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: branch · court · lie · stick · cabinet · rest · pitch · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. court — of law
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — a division
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — a break
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spell — magic
  18. court — for sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. court — of a king
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — to recline

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