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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: bank · foot · swing · pitcher · branch · tube · suit · chest

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. swing — to play on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bank — of a river
  6. foot — a measure
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. chest — of your body
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chest — a box
  21. tube — a container
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. swing — music

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