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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: craft · branch · suit · stem · file · row · bowl · pitcher

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. suit — to fit
  5. row — a line
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. file — a document
  10. craft — boats
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. file — a tool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. row — to paddle
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. branch — a division

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