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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 120 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: branch · pitch · cue · mug · nail · season · plane · mate

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mug — to rob
  4. season — in sport
  5. branch — a division
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mug — a face
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pitch — completely
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cue — for pool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  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