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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 116 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 · pound · game · cue · saw · wave · pit · branch

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. saw — the tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — a signal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pit — in a race
  17. game — a match
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pound — for dogs

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