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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: straw · pitch · branch · season · scale · temple · net · bass

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. scale — in music
  4. net — in sport
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitch — completely
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. season — in sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — after costs
  18. scale — size or range
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. season — to add flavour

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