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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: stick · branch · roll · toast · pitcher · pass · pop · game

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pass — a permit
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. toast — bread
  7. roll — a list
  8. game — a match
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. game — wild animals
  12. roll — a cake
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. branch — a division
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pop — soda
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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