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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: bear · wind · fan · pitcher · present · staff · branch · suit

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. present — a gift
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. suit — to fit
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. bear — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — to put up with

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