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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: scale · bank · suit · branch · fan · pitch · snap · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. scale — size or range
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — in cards
  10. snap — to click
  11. scale — in music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitch — completely
  23. suit — clothes
  24. branch — a division

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