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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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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 · pitch · bass · lie · fine · calf · net · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bass — low music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. net — in sport
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pitch — completely
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lie — to recline
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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