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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bank · march · hide · calf · suit · branch · stick

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. march — music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. suit — clothes
  5. branch — a division
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. march — the month
  24. bank — for money

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