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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mouse · branch · land · season · pitcher · ball · hide

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. roll — a cake
  6. season — in sport
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. roll — a list
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. land — ground
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. land — to come down
  19. season — of the year
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. land — a country
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ball — a dance
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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