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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · ball · cue · branch · bay · rock · squash · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wind — moving air
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cue — a hint
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rock — music
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cue — a signal
  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