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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: pass · pitcher · branch · coach · wind · vault · date · toast

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. branch — a division
  6. date — the fruit
  7. toast — bread
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — a safe
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pass — a permit
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. coach — a trainer

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