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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 · rash · pass · coach · sharp · branch · pitcher · ball

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. branch — a division
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rash — hasty
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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