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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · ruler · mark · jam · last · branch · pitch · object

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — a division
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — to push
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. mark — a grade
  16. press — newspapers
  17. object — an aim
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. last — final
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitch — completely
  22. object — to protest
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ruler — a monarch

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