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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
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: branch · bowl · press · fine · pitch · fork · bat · bass

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bat — the animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. branch — a division
  13. fine — all right
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bass — low music
  16. fork — in a road
  17. press — to push
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. branch — of a tree

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