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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 · straw · swing · racket · pitcher · pit · fine · degree

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fine — high quality
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. degree — temperature
  6. swing — music
  7. fine — all right
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. degree — an amount
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. degree — from a university
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. swing — in golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pit — in a race
  24. branch — a division

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