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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: pass · net · rush · branch · mate · swing · pitcher · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. net — in sport
  3. mate — a friend
  4. row — a line
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. swing — music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. branch — a division
  15. mate — to breed
  16. swing — to play on
  17. row — to paddle
  18. swing — in golf
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — after costs
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mate — a partner

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