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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: firm · branch · bear · content · pitch · racket · club · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. firm — a company
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bear — the animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — completely
  16. firm — steady
  17. club — for golf
  18. bear — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. club — a group

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