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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 120 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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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 · cabinet · cold · branch · court · bay · bulb · calf

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. court — for sport
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. court — of law
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitch — completely
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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