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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. branch — a division
  12. swing — music
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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