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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: pitcher · arm · face · branch · bank · bat · kid · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. face — to confront
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bank — for money
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. face — to point toward
  17. kid — child
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — soda
  21. bank — of a river
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. face — part of the head

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