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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: net · staff · branch · saw · pit · bass · pitcher · bat

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — the tool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. branch — a division
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. net — after costs
  24. bass — the instrument

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