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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 · pitch · leaves · field · cell · lean · fork · firm

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. firm — decided
  5. field — farmland
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. branch — a division
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lean — to bend
  13. field — a subject
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. field — for sport
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fork — in a road
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lean — thin
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cell — in biology

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