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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. club — for golf
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hand — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — after costs
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hand — help
  13. branch — a division
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. suit — in cards
  16. net — for catching
  17. suit — clothes
  18. club — a group

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