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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: branch · spell · bowl · pitcher · wind · mug · mouse · net

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. spell — magic
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — a division
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. net — in sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mug — a cup
  19. net — for catching
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pitcher — a jug

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