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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: bat · pitch · deal · plane · branch · board · trunk · jam

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bat — the animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. pitch — completely
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. deal — to handle
  13. board — a committee
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. plane — a tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. board — a flat piece

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