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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 · ball · lean · last · bear · can · row · pitch

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. last — finally
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. row — to paddle
  8. last — final
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. can — a tin
  14. branch — a division
  15. last — to go on
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. row — a line
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bear — the animal

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