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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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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: band · suit · rest · branch · ball · pitch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. band — a ring
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ball — a great time
  11. band — a music group
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitch — completely

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