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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: chip · straw · pitch · branch · bay · leaves · wind · season

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. season — of the year
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. branch — a division
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. season — in sport
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wind — moving air
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chip — for betting
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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