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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: roll · branch · pitch · band · object · ball · coach · bank

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — an aim
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. band — a ring
  16. bank — for money
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. band — a music group
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — of a river
  22. roll — a cake
  23. coach — a trainer
  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