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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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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: mate · pitcher · bank · suit · game · lash · ground · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bank — for money
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bank — of a river
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ground — a position
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mate — to breed
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mate — a friend
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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