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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — a division
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — clever
  10. club — for dancing
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cap — a lid
  18. branch — of a tree

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