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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: pitch · ball · branch · saw · craft · mine · snap · mug

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mug — to rob
  9. snap — to click
  10. branch — a division
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. craft — boats
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mine — for digging

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