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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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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: craft · branch · pitch · rest · last · arm · bank · club

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — a break
  5. club — for golf
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. craft — boats
  13. club — a group
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. branch — a division
  18. rest — what's left
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bank — of a river
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. club — for dancing

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