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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 116 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: wave · pitcher · branch · chip · straw · rock · wind · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. net — in sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. net — after costs
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. branch — a division
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rock — music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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