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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: roll · pitcher · rest · rash · branch · sharp · mark · rush

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rash — a series
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. roll — a list
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rash — hasty
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rush — hurry
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — a division
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rest — a break
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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