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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 · race · key · branch · pass · content · swing

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. content — the amount
  8. branch — a division
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. swing — music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. race — the arms race
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. race — a contest
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. race — humankind
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. key — in music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bowl — a dish

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