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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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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: pitch · can · sharp · rush · hand · mark · branch · bore

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pitch — completely
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mark — a grade
  21. hand — help
  22. mark — a trace
  23. can — to be able to
  24. branch — a division

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