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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: clip · branch · spell · bank · mug · suit · club · pitch

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. clip — a video
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bank — of a river
  7. branch — a division
  8. spell — magic
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. clip — for paper
  12. club — for golf
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spell — a short time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. clip — to cut
  18. club — for dancing
  19. spell — letters
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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