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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.

Words on the sheet
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 · racket · cold · leaves · cue · trunk · pitch · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. branch — a division
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cold — an illness
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — a sports field

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