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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: pitcher · bowl · saw · fan · branch · object · suit · swing

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. object — to protest
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. suit — to fit
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. object — an aim
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pitcher — a jug

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