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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: tube · suit · can · wave · clip · perch · branch · pitch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. suit — clothes
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. suit — in cards
  13. tube — the underground
  14. clip — for paper
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. perch — the fish
  19. clip — to cut
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. clip — a video
  24. pitch — completely

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