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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: cold · branch · pass · cue · pitch · ground · current · racket

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. current — happening now
  5. cold — an illness
  6. ground — a position
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. current — electric
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. current — of water
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cue — for pool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cold — the Cold War

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