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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
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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: club · branch · lie · court · board · can · pitch · deal

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. board — a committee
  3. club — a group
  4. court — of law
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — for golf
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. court — of a king
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — for dancing
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitch — completely
  19. court — for sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. branch — a division
  23. can — a tin
  24. deal — to handle

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