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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 116 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: kick · branch · net · mine · firm · pitch · scale · root

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. root — of a plant
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. firm — a company
  12. scale — in music
  13. firm — steady
  14. root — the cause
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. firm — decided
  17. mine — for digging
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. kick — in football
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. root — of a word
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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