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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: club · mine · band · stick · branch · pitch · cabinet · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mine — for digging
  12. club — a group
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — completely
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. band — a ring
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. band — a rubber band

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