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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: club · bowl · branch · roll · ruler · suit · wave · coach

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. roll — a list
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. roll — a cake
  11. branch — a division
  12. club — a group
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — for golf
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. club — for dancing
  20. suit — to fit
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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