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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 120 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: arm · wave · fine · bank · pitcher · present · pitch · branch

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — a gift
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fine — all right
  17. branch — a division
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. present — the time now
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — there
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bank — for money

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