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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: bat · tube · hide · pitcher · branch · firm · suit · bowl

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bat — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. branch — a division
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. firm — steady
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. suit — in cards

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