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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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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: patient · branch · trunk · bay · deal · bat · stick · pitch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. branch — a division
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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