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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.

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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: pitch · fine · branch · leaves · fan · shower · deal · club

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. club — for dancing
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fine — all right
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. club — for golf
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. deal — to handle
  12. club — a group
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. branch — a division
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitch — completely
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. shower — rain
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. shower — to wash

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