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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: suit · pitcher · branch · ball · squash · bowl · present · pitch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. present — there
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — completely
  15. present — a gift
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. suit — in cards
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ball — a dance
  21. squash — to crush
  22. branch — a division
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. present — the time now

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