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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: stick · branch · nail · can · pitcher · squash · cabinet · suit

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — to fit
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. branch — a division
  17. suit — clothes
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. can — a tin
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cabinet — ministers

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