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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: spring · mine · pitch · content · coach · stand · branch · hide

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. content — the amount
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. content — happy
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. branch — a division
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mine — belonging to me

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