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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: sharp · bowl · firm · rule · branch · press · lash · pitch

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. firm — a company
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. press — to push
  10. pitch — completely
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. branch — a division
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rule — to rule out

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