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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: pitcher · mug · branch · net · fine · club · suit · wind

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. suit — clothes
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fine — high quality
  12. net — in sport
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fine — all right
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mug — a face
  18. net — for catching
  19. suit — in cards
  20. net — after costs
  21. club — a group
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. club — for golf
  24. mug — a cup

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